Where You Go ― Jason Grace

xi. ophelia & friends get the vip treatment

Kate beamed at Coach Hedge. "Oh, there's much more."

She led them into an even larger chamber lined with more aquariums. On one wall, a glowing red sign proclaimed: DEATH IN THE DEEP SEAS! Sponsored by Monster Donut.

"Monster Donut?" Percy asked, grimacing as if remembering something unpleasant.

"Oh, yes," Kate said. "One of our corporate sponsors."

In one aquarium, a dozen horses with tails like fish drifted aimlessly. Percy watched them for a moment, frowning. "This isn't right," he muttered.

He turned, and Ophelia followed his gaze. At the bottom of a smaller tank, two Nereids sat cross-legged, facing each other and playing a game of Go Fish. They looked incredibly bored, their long green hair floating listlessly around their faces. As bad as her experience with water nymphs was, Ophelia couldn't help but feel bad for them.

Percy glared at Kate. "How can you keep them here?"

"I know." Kate sighed. "They aren't very interesting. We tried to teach them some tricks, but with no luck, I'm afraid. I think you'll like this tank over here much better."

Percy started to protest, but Kate had already moved on.

"Holy mother of goats!" Hedge cried. "Look at these beauties!"

He was gawking at two sea serpents—thirty-foot-long monsters with glowing blue scales and jaws that could have bitten a whale shark in half. In another tank, peeking out from its cement cave, was a squid the size the size of an eighteen-wheeler.

A third tank held a dozen humanoid creatures with sleek seal bodies, doglike faces, and human hands. They sat on the sand at the bottom of the tank, building things out of Legos, though they looked just as dazed as the Nereids.

"Are those—?" Percy started.

"Telkhines?" Kate said. "Yes! The only ones in captivity."

"But they fought for Kronos in the last war!" Percy said. "They're dangerous!"

Kate rolled her eyes. "Well, we couldn't call it 'Death in the Deep Seas' if these exhibits weren't dangerous. Don't worry. We keep them well sedated."

"Sedated?" Frank asked. "Is that legal?"

"Doubt it," Ophelia muttered.

Kate kept walking, pointing out other exhibits. "And these sea monsters," she narrated, "can grow five hundred feet long in the deep ocean. They have over a thousand teeth. And these? Their favorite food is demigod—"

"Demigod?" Frank yelped.

"But they will eat whales and small boats, too." Kate turned to Percy and blushed. "Sorry... I'm such a monster nerd! I'm sure you know all this, being a son of Poseidon and all."

"Who are you?" Percy demanded. "Does Kate stand for something?"

"Kate?" She frowned in confusion, then glanced at her name tag. "Oh..." She laughed. "No, it's—"

"Hello!" came a new voice, booming through the aquarium.

A small man scuttled out of the darkness—literally scuttled. He walked sideways on bowed legs like a crab, his back hunched, his arms raised on either side like he was holding invisible plates. 

He wore a wet suit that was several awful shades of green. Glittery silver words printed down the side read: PORKY'S FOLLIES.

"Visitors!" he said, the word thundering through the headset microphone clamped over his greasy hair. He had a voice like a DJ, deep and resonant, which did not match his meek outward appearance. "Welcome to Phorcys's Follies!"